Welcome to the April edition of our newsletter!

The last couple of months have seen some interesting initiatives in the realm of western chimpanzee conservation. We are excited to share with you some of these updates!

Get to know our community!

Continuing our series of introductions of representatives of the Western Chimpanzee Action Plan (WCAP) Implementation Committee (ImpCom), we are excited to present two more members.

To access the full list and contact information of all ImpCom members, consult the dedicated section on our website.

As a part-time lecturer at the Inter-State School of Veterinary Science and Medicine (EISMV) at Dakar, he teaches Wildlife Monitoring Techniques. Winner of the Société Française de Primatologie grant in 1995 and the MAB/UNESCO grant on great apes (GRASP) in 2006, as ImpCom member Djibril uses his experience for the study and protection of the chimpanzee populations in Senegal, which at present represents the Africa's northernmost range of the species.

years as a consultant for EcoHealth Alliance, specializing in wildlife medicine and emerging zoonotic disease. He is currently also the Chief of Party for the USAID funded Conservation Works project, a large-scale One Health based project preserving biodiversity and ecosystem health and promoting economic prosperity through sustainable livelihoods, with a focus on western chimpanzees and their habitat. Since 2016 Jim has lived in Liberia, working on a range of activities related to wildlife health and conservation including capacity building, training, and community development.

The A.P.E.S. Wiki

The A.P.E.S. Wiki is a platform where you can find up-to-date information on ape population status, threats, and conservation and research activities. The website was launched with the western chimpanzee as its pilot group - that's information on over 50 western chimpanzee sites!

The website is constantly updated with new information. If you know or work in an ape field site and want to contribute to the continued effort of the A.P.E.S. Wiki, do not hesitate to reach out!

Get involved!

Help the "Law Enforcement & Sanctuary Coordination" ImpCom group to combat illegal chimpanzee trade

Please reach out to Jenny via jjdesmond@hotmail.com  or liberiachimpanzeerescue@gmail.com if you can contribute to the following request:

As "Law Enforcement & Sanctuary Coordination" group, we are reaching out to invite your participation in one of the following ways:

Survey Distribution

• We're seeking assistance in obtaining the names and email addresses of individuals willing to complete two surveys: one focused on law enforcement in each of the western chimpanzee range countries, and the other related to rescue center needs and activities.

• Additionally, we aim to connect with rescue center managers who take in live chimpanzees to aid in survey design and completion.

   

Committee Formation

• We're interested in reaching out to individuals who have already formed committees, with inquiries about their adopted structure and successful

  practices.

   

Collaboration with Other Focal Areas

• There is significant overlap between focal areas in chimpanzee conservation across countries. We seek assistance in identifying these overlaps to effectively combine efforts and opportunities.

understand how their activities overlap with our objectives. We've created a simpler version of WCAP Objectives and Actions, so you can easily indicate which of them you or your organization are working on.

If you would like to participate in this initiative, please contact us at info@westernchimp.org. We welcome your contribution!

countries of western chimpanzees, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Guinea, could be among the most affected by mining activities. For instance, the study suggests that more than 23,000 chimpanzees could be impacted by these activities in Guinea, amounting to up to 83% of the country’s chimpanzee population.

Check out the paper at the following link!

News from the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) 2024

In February, the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) held its biannual meeting (COP14) in Uzbekistan, where representatives of over 133 member governments came together to discuss how to best save species that migrate across borders.

Now, two years later, the ImpCom chair Erin Wessling was invited to present some of the results of the WCAP community’s substantial efforts to protect western chimpanzees to the broader CMS community.

Much of the completion of the CMS’ Concerted Action’s success can be attributed to the efforts of our community. Bravo!

To read more about the completion of the Concerted Action, check: Report on the Implementation of the Concerted Action for the Nut-Cracking Populations of the Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of West Africa | CMS 

This newsletter is distributed to stakeholders of western chimpanzee conservation. If anyone in your network is interested in receiving future newsletters and staying informed about western chimpanzee-related content, please direct them to this brief form to share their contact information with us: EN | FR | PT.

Do you have an announcement you would like to make, or an activity you would like to highlight? A success story you would like to share? Please get in touch so we can include your story in the next bimonthly newsletter!

For inquiries or submissions, please contact us at info@westernchimp.org. We welcome your engagement and questions!

You can access the French version of this newsletter, as well as past editions, on our website.